Dora Wilder

Dora Lee Hawkins Wilder was born on September 28, 1935, to Frank and Eilene Elizabeth Hawkins. She married Daniel Wilder on September 19 and shared 64 years of marriage with him. Together they raised three children, Carolyn Wilder, Lisa Meers (Ron), and Gene Wilder. She is survived by three grandchildren, Brittany Veech (Chris), Chad Meers (Kacie), and Emma Carter (Philip), three great-granddaughters, Delaney Veech, Whitley Veech, and Heidi Meers, and one great-grandson, Harrison Carter.

Dora worked at American Air Filter and Investor’s Heritage Insurance Company before retiring from the Legislative Research Commission. In retirement she found joy in tending her garden, weeding, harvesting, and caring for her flower beds, especially her beloved zinnias. She and Daniel enjoyed day trips with their Sunday School class, traveling across the state. A woman with a servant’s heart, she loved cooking for others and welcomed family, friends, and strangers alike to her table. She was known for her homemade fudge and pies made with black walnuts that Daniel harvested each year from the farm. She also cared tenderly for the birds, keeping feeders filled and boiling sugar water each spring for the hummingbirds. Dora never met a stranger and greeted everyone with a warm smile and an open heart.

She passed away on March 11, 2026, and was welcomed into heaven by her Lord and Savior, her husband Daniel, her grandson Timothy Daniel, and other grandchildren and great-grandchildren she had not met on this side of heaven. Dora loved God deeply, loved people generously, and made a lasting contribution to the Kingdom. She will be greatly missed by all whose lives she touched.